Koreans jubilant over their teams victory
Armed with tom-tom drums and donned in their iconic red shirts, hundreds of South Korean fans enthusiastically cheered on their World Cup squad at its Group B opener against Greece Saturday in sound and energy that could hardly be expected from their size.
A giant South Korean flag unfolded at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as the country's national anthem played before the kickoff. "Daehan minguk," the estimated 1,000 Korean fans chanted as they called out the name of their country in Korean, braving the omnipresent sound of vuvuzelas, according to Yonhap News.
The supporters, most of them from their home country, joined forces with 300 or so Korean residents in African nations in ringing the stadium with gongs and other traditional rhythm instruments. They were split up in small groups because of ticketed seats, but their presence was loud and clear, tightly organized in songs and chants compared to their counterparts for Greece, the 2004 Euro champions.
Highly cheerful after defender Lee Jung-soo scored the first goal, the fans shouted for their team more enthusiastically.
"I plan to infuse my energy in to the team until the end of the game," said Lee Sung-hoon, 20, a university student studying in Johannesburg.
Kim Bo-kyung, a 23-year-old who came from South Korea as a FIFA volunteer worker, said she is hoping to see her country's return to Port Elizabeth after advancing to the second round.
"If South Korea advances from Group B, they would compete the top team from Group A at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. I hope South Korea returns here after passing the group competition," Kim said.
In South Korea, dozens of select sections of major streets, plazas and stadiums in Seoul and other cities overflowed with tens of thousands of red-shirted fans who gathered under drizzling rain to cheer on their team.
The excitement went higher when captain Pak Ji-sung brought South Korea its second goal.
"It is filled with excitement here. I want to thank the players for playing so well," said Jeong Jae-min, 24, who came to the Seoul Plaza in rain. "I will go out again to participate in the massive pep rally for Wednesday's match against Argentina."
"I'm so happy our team won. Park Ji-sung fought so well," said 56-year-old Koo Yong-seon. "Our team will definitely advance to the next round. South Korea's energy is filling the African continent."
Police estimated that some 200,000 people cheered outdoors in Seoul alone, including 48,000 who gathered near the city hall to watch the match on jumbo screens. Street lanes were partly closed to make room for them.
"I was so thrilled when the second goal was made that I felt like I was having goosebumps. Many people shouted in unison for the victory," said Yang Seok-mo, a high school student.
Excited fans turned to the Internet, filling bulletin boards of major portals with congratulatory messages.
"Today, South Korea has become a football powerhouse. We've become a strong team," wrote an Internet user "Athran."
"Our team is now on the upswing and can win any team. If we get through the next match against Argentina, we will safely get a ticket to the second round," another netizen said.